Vehicle spbim



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MALCOLM E. ROBB, OF KNOWLTON, CANADA.

VEHICLE-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 506,546, dated October10,1893.

Application filed April 1, 1893. Serial No. 46 8,713. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALCOLM ELWIN RoEB, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Knowlton, in the county of Brome, Province ofQuebec, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVehicle-Springs; of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is avertical longitudinal section of the front rocker and axle and theconnecting spring of a vehicle; Fig. 2 afront view of the rear axle;Fig. 3 adetail view of one of the bearing boxes for the oscillatingarms; Fig. 4 a detail perspective of one of the oscillating arms; andFigs. 5 and 6 detail views of the coupling at the forward ends of the Ysprings.

The object of this invention is essentially to provide improved meansfor attaching the ends of the side-springs ot' a vehicle to the rockerand rear axle in such a manner that the cramping or buckling strain towhich the ordinarily constructed springs are subjected to will beentirely obviated as more fully hereinafter set forth. Y

In the drawings, @designates the rocker, a the rear axle and b one ofthe side-springs connecting the rocker and axle. The ends of the springshave attached to them bearing plates b', each of these plates beingpivotally supported, by a horizontal bolt, between theupwardly-extending arms of a couplingbracket, c, which is clamped downsecurely on the rocker by an ordinary clip c', which also passes betweensaid arms. These brackets c have each a sharpened rib c on its under-Side which extends longitudinally of the rocker and enters the woodenpart thereof. The object of .this connection is to provide means forsecuring the front ends of the spring to the rocker more rigidly thanthe devices now in use.

It will be observed that the rib c extends nearly the full length of thecoupling-bracket and is in substantially the form of a segment, wherebythe rib not only greatly strengthens the bracket-coupling but alsoprevents its slipping or twisting on the rocker.

The blocks b on the rear ends of the springs are each`pivotally secured,by a horizontal bolt, between the upper ends of a pair of verticalside-bars d composing the curved supporting arms d, these arms beingpivotally clamped to the underside of the rear axle and curved upwardlyandslightly backwardly so` as to terminate directly over the axle, asshown. Each of the two oscillating arms or brackets d is composed of thevertical side-bars d and the connecting cross-bars d, the lowercross-bar being rounded to serve as the pivotal-bar. The pivotal barsare supported in bearing-grooves formed in the upper sides of the hangedbearing-blocks e, which are clamped to the underside of the axle byclips c of the ordinary construction, the curved arms being therebysecurely connected to the axle.

In use, it will be observed that the curved arms will freely oscillateor swing in unison with the endwise movements of the springs and therebyrelieve the same of all crushing or buckling strain.

If it is desired that the two arms oscillate in unison, they may beconnected together by a rod f, as shown in Fig. 2, which connection willpartly equalize the strain should one of the springs be depressed morethan the other. The pivotal bar f connecting the vertical curved armsmay be extended on each side of the arms, and clamped there by twobearing blocks, instead of by one between the arms-the same flangedbearing block being used-as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

I am aware of the Throop and Doyle patent of June l2, 1877, No. 192,033,and I do not claim anything therein shown and described. In this patentthe two side-springs are each supported on the upper ends of a singlecurved arm, said arms being formed by bending up the ends of arock-shaftmounted under the axle and extending nearly the full length thereof,said arms coming outside the bearings supporting the rock-shaft. Thisconstruction necessarily brings the weight of the load outside thebearings and thereby unevenly wears the same and causes side motion;this construction also renders it necessary that the two curved arms beconnected by an unnecessarily heavy rockshaft,whereas IOO my inventioninvolves the use of two independent supports, each of which is cast of apair of rigidly-connected curved-arms, the two supports being connectedbya light rookshaft or rod or not as desired. The eXtreme lower ends ofthe arms of each support are integrally connected by a roundedbearingbar, which serves as the pivot, and about midway their lengththey are connected by another integral bar, the whole forming a lightrigidframe and broad bearing, which will throw the weight of theloaddirectly and evenly on the bearing-clip and prevent uneven Wearing andside motion. The construction covered by Throop and Doyle necessitatesthe employment of 'a rook-shaft, and this shaft must be, in order toproperly snpport the load, too large to admit of being attached to thebottom of the light axles now employed in light vehicles.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim iss-- Thecombination of an axle, two supports d carried by the axle, one neareach end, each 0f said supports consisting of a pair of curved side barsd d', curving from below the axle up above the same and rigidlyconnected at a point about midway between their ends by a bar CZ", meansfor connecting and pivoting the lower ends of the supports to the axle,and springs having their ends pivotally secured between the upper endsof the side bars d' d', substantially as described.

In testimony whereof IafflX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MALCOLM E. RoBB.

Witnesses:

D. M. RAY, J. P. SHUFELT.

